Public Transportation
While the CIRTPA is not a public transportation provider, we coordinate with the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART), the Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA), and non-profit transportation providers to plan and improve public transportation. DART provides service for Polk County, while HIRTA provides door-to-door service for the remaining seven counties. HIRTA’s demand-responsive transit system requires that rides are scheduled at least twenty-four hours in advance. Its subcontractors include:
Boone County: Boone County Transportation;
Dallas County: HomeCare Services, Inc.;
Jasper County: Heartland Senior Services, Inc.;
Madison County: Madison County Elderly Services, Inc.;
Marion County: Marion County Community Action (Knoxville);
Marion County: Christian Opportunity Center (Pella);
Story County: Heartland Senior Services, Inc.; and,
Warren County: Red Rock Area Community Action Program/Warren County Center.
Passenger Transportation Plan
The CIRTPA collaborates with the Des Moines Area MPO to develop its Passenger Transportation Plan (PTP). The need for the PTP arises from the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), the federal transportation reauthorization bill that calls for an increased effort in the coordination of transportation services. As a result, the Iowa Department of Transportation requires regional planning agencies and metropolitan planning organizations to develop a PTP annually.
The PTP requires an inventory of existing transportation services and providers, an assessment of unmet transportation needs, and the development of projects to address identified needs. Funding amounts and sources for any transit projects to be included in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) first must be included in the PTP, along with justification for each element.